Packing bench



Feb. 26, 1935. H. D. MENOHER 1,992831 PACKING BENCH Filed Ivay 2, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO? Feb. 26, 1935. H. D. MENOHER PACKING BENCH v Filed May 2, 1951 3 sheetssneet 2 Feb. 26, 1935. H. D. MENOHER PACKING BENCH Filed May 2, 19:51 3 sheets-sheet 5 1]'72 HWTOR f MVM h NIH... u nu -..H l 1 ...n ...huvnuIhn .EI

Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES 1 .A\T131\1'r`y volrlclsz PACKING Harrison Dean Menoher,

signor to American .Window Glass Co Pittsburgh, Pa.,

BENCH Bene vemmraaasmimosf a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May z', 1931, ,serial No. 534,501.1v

15 claims. Y(o1. 22e-12e) My invention relates to packing benches gen-V erally, and while not limited thereto, relates` more particularly to benches adapted for use in the packing of glass sheets or similar'articles. It is desirable in the packing of glass-sheets, or sheets of similar material, to carry out the operations while the sheets are standing on edge. When the packing operations are carried out with the glass sheets in this position, the box to be placed thereon can be readily slid downwardly over the sheets. In order that the packing operation may be carried out in this fashion efficiently and with out considerable breakage, it is necessary that means be provided for holding the glass sheets in the vertical position while the packer slidesgthe box downwardly .over the same. Consequently, by my invention I provide a packing bench comprising .a material-supporting platform and means movable from an inopera-Y tive position clear of the platform and the material `thereon to an operative position in engagement with the material for holding` thematerial in proper position on theplatform.v .V f

Since sheets of various sizes are packed, it is desirable to have a packing bench which can be readily adjusted to permit the proper packing of Y'sheets of various sizes. Consequently, by my invention -I also provide a material-supporting platform Whichis adjustable vertically of the frame of the bench.

I further provide by my invention a packing bench which normally rests solidly on the legs of the main frame but which has a plurality of Wheels or rollers carried thereby which may be readily moved from an inoperative position above the floor level to a floor engaging position.` 'Ihis makes it possible to readily transport the pack-V ingbench which I provide from one location to another. Inthe accompanying drawings, I have shown for purposes of illustration only a preferred embodiment of my invention. In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the bench which I provide;

Figure 2 is a plan view in Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along set line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a detail view of the supporting members on which the materialfsupportng platform rests.

The main framework of the bench shown: lin the drawings, which framework is indicated generally by the reference character '2, comprises of the bench shown the offa plurality of angles which are boltedor welded togethenjy n Y A materialfsnpporting platform indicated generally by the reference character Brandwhich comprises hardwood pieces 4, 5and 6, isprovided for supporting sheets o f glass 10 to be packed. The platform 3-is bolted or otherwise secured'to brackets 7 which are site vends, of the bench.I The brackets 7 are adapted tovengage andgslide along the faces 8 of` the v anglesiL whichfform` a portion of the main framework of the bench. Y y

A plate 15 is riveted or otherwise secured to each of the brackets 7.. Eachplate 15 has bearings 16 and 17 thereim which bearings are adapted to support shafts 18 and 19 respectively ,which extend .longitudinallyi of the bench. The

located on oppio-g vertically extending rack rods 25 are fastened to angles 9 on each end of .the bench and are adapted to be engaged by the spur gears 20. As may readily be seen, rotationof the shaft 18 will cause the gears 20 totravel alongthe rack rods 25 carrying plates 15, vbrackets 7 and the V platform 3 therewith. rThe shaftY 18 extends through and beyond one of the plates 15 anda crankf26j is seeured'thereto by means of a set screw 27.

By turning the handle 26, the shaft 18 is revolved and the platform 3 raised or loweredl as desired. The brackets 7, as stated above, engage and slide along faces 8 of the angles 9 of the main frame. The brackets in this manner carry a considerable portion of the weight on the platform. The-balance of the weight is'carried by the shaft 18 andthe gears 20' which bear'on the rackv rodsf25 which are fastened to Y the main frame.

,Stopl members 35` Vare/ ffastened to thesmain frame for limiting the upward movement of the platform 3.

As may be seen from the above, the supporting platform which I provide may be readily adjusted to any desired position so as to make it possible to efciently use the 'bench for the packing of glass sheets of various sizes. A stationary wooden back 36 is boltedor riveted to themain frame ad-A jacent the platform 3. Thevback 36 is notas long as the platform 3 and consequently does not interfere whatsoever with the mechanism for raising the platform, which mechanism is located at each side of the back.

Arms 40, which are in theshape of a half circle,

Vare joined together by means of cross bars 41, 42`

and 43. The arms and cross `bars form a semi-` circular frame which is mounted Afor .movement form an inoperative position clear of the movable platform and the material thereon to ama.- terial-engaging position, ,in which position it op erates to hold the material on the platform in a vertical position. A wooden crosshead' 44 'fis mounted on the cross bar43, whichcrosshead contacts with thematerial when the frame is in operative position.

vThe bars'40 are mounted on rollers 45,'wh'ich rollers are mounted on studsj 46 secured to circular plates 47 mountedon the main frame. The bars 40 are-held Aift-'place on the rollers 45 by means of upper rollers 48 which are mounted on studs49, which in turn are lar plates 47. Y y

The cross bar 43 has an opening otherein, which opening is designed to admit'V the pawl 51 mounted in the ycircuwhich has a bearing surface 52 thereon adapted to engage the lower face Vof the opening 50. One end of a spring 53 is attached -to the pawl- 51. The other end of the spring 53 is attached to any suitable portion of the main frame. This spring is adaptedto pull the pawl rearwardly so that it will engage the lower face ofthe-opening 50 and normally hold the circular frame inthe posi-l tion shown insolid lines in Figure 3. ."I'he'pawl 51 is pivotally mounted at 54 and is formed with aY treadle 55. Whenthe treadle 55 'ispushed downwardly against the force of the spring, the

upper portionY of the pawl '1 is released'from the cross bar 43 and the circular'frame permitted to move from inoperativeposition to anl operative position. v'

One end of achain 60 is fastened at the center of cross bears 41 which joins the rearends of the bars 40. Y This chain passes -around grooved pulley 61, thenupwardly against grooved pulley 62,- then upwardly over grooved pulley 63. A counterweight 64is attached to the other end of the chain. The pulley wheels 61, 62 and 63 are all suitably mounted to. rotate onstuds secured in bracketsY which are secured to` the framework of the bench. i ,Y t

u In the packing of glasssheets, theyrmay be set on edge on the platform 4 and sheets 651 of corrugated material placed thereabout. After ther corrugated material has been placedl around the glass sheets, the operator presses treadle 55 which releases pawl 51 from engagement with crossbar 43. The counterweight V64. operating through chain 60 Ypulls the circularV frame forward and upwardly around 'the `material-supporting platform and causes the crosshead 44 tofengage the material.l The frame and thefcounterweight will hold the material in the vertical position, thereby permitting the packer to letfgo of the material and pick up the box whichfis 'to bel slid 'downwardly'over/the material. After the packer has started the box downwardly over the material, he

can grasp the circular frame by the handle 66 and pull the frame away from the material and to its inoperative position where it will be engaged and held by the spring-pressed pawl 51.

The bench normally sets solidly upon the leg portions of the main framework thereof. The bench, however, is so constructed Vthat it may be moved from place to place when so desired. For this purpose, four rollers 70 are mounted in the'lower leg portions 71 of bell cranks 72. The

bell cranks 72 are suitably pivoted to the frameshaft 76 is rotated to the left, as shown in FigureY 2, the rollers 70 will be forced down against the floor in such manner as to raise the bench clear of the floor so that'it may be moved from place to place supported bythe rollers. v A handle 81 is attached by means of a set screw 82 to the shaft 76 and is used to rotate the shaft. When the shaft hasbeen rotated a sufficient distance to raise the bench off the floor, the handle'lrengages' the angle bar 83 which forms a part of the main framework of the bench. The parts are so ar` rangedthat when the shaft 76 has been Yrotated a sufcient distance for the handle 8l to engage the angle bar 83, the ends ofthe arms 78 have moved past center; The rollers 'are thsrheld locked in the position .shown in dotted lines Yin Y Figure 1. Y t 1 When the bench has been moved from one posi-f tion to another desired position, the shaft 76'rnayvr be rotated in the reversedirection so as tot lower the bench and permit it to set solidly onv the floor.

The hardwood piece 4 which forms a part of the material-supportingplatform is hinged at 34 to the hardwood piece 6. A handle 85 is provided on the free end of the' piece 4. After the box has been lowered on the material being packed, the box and material can be readily removed from the bench by the packer merely grasping the handle 85 and raising the hinged portion 4. After the box with the material therein has been removed from they bench, a strip of corrugated'material similar to strips 65 is yplaced on thetop thereof and the lid nailed thereon. Y

VIhe glass sheets or other material may be readily and efficiently packed by means ofthe bench which I provide. The bench is of such character that it can be readily operated by one' man and Vone man alone is necessary to pack any box` of glass. The cost of packingisfurther reduced due to the fact ,thatbreakage of the glass sheets in packingthe same is practicallyeliminated.

While'I have shown anddescribed a preferred embodiment of my invention, itis tobe understood thatV it is not limited thereby but may be otherwise embodied within theV scope ofthe accompanying claims. v f v I claim:

1. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material-supporting platform supported thereby, means movable from an inoperative position clearof the platform and the material thereon to an operative position in engagement with the material for holding the material in position on to an operative position in engagement with the material for holding the material in position on the patform, and releasable locking means for normally holding said movable means in inoperative position, said movable means being biased for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position upon release of said locking means.

3. A packing bench comprising a main `frame a material-supporting platform supported thereby, material holdingmeans movablefrom an inoperative position clear of the platform and the material thereon to an operative position for holding the material in position on the platform, releasable locking means for lnormally holding said material holding means in inoperative position, and means for moving said material holding means from an inoperative position to an operative position.

4. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material-supporting platform supported thereby, material holding means movable from an inoperative position clear of the platform and the material thereon to an operative position for holding the material in position on the platform, releasable locking means for normally holding said material holding means in inoperative position, means for moving said material holding means from an inoperative position to an operative position, and means for releasing said locking means.

5. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material-supporting platform supported thereby, an arm movable from an inoperative position clear of the platform and the material thereon to an operative position in engagement with the material, said arm being biased for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, and releasable locking means for normally holding said arm in an inoperative position.

6. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material-supporting platform supported thereby, and a movable frame carried by and movable along the main frame and having a material engaging portion thereon, said movable frame being biased for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position for engaging the material and holding it in position on the platform.

7. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material-supporting platform supported thereby, a movable frame supported by a plurality of rollers carried by the main frame, said movable frame having a material engaging portion thereon and being biased for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position for engaging the material and holding it in position on the platform, and releasable locking means for normally holding the frame in inoperative position.

8. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material-supporting platform supported thereby, means for adjusting the platform insubstantially a vertical direction, means for holding the platform in any adjusted position, a movable frame carried by the main frame and having a material engaging portion thereon, said movable frame being biased for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position in engagement with the material for holding the material on the platform, and releasable locking means for normally holding the frame in inoperative position.

9. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material suppo-rting platform supported thereby, and a slidably mounted arm movable from a position clear of the platform and the material thereon to an operative position for holding the material on the platform.

10. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material supporting platform supported thereby, and a slidably mounted arm biased for movement from a position clear of the platform and the material thereon to an operative position for holding the material on the platform. 1l. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a material supporting platform supported thereby, and a slidably mounted arm comprising curved parallel arms joined by a cross-head and cross-bars movable from a position clear of the platform and the material thereon to an operative position for holdingA the material on the platform. Y

l2. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a supporting platform, a plurality of brackets on which the platform is mounted, said brackets having vertically extending portions adapted to bear against and slide along said main frame, a vertically extending back member mounted on said frame adjacent the supporting platform, and means for adjusting the platform vertically relative to said back member and along said frame.

13. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a supporting platform, a plurality of brackets on which the platform is mounted, said brackets` having vertically extending portions adapted to bear against and slide along said main frame, a verticallyY extending back member mounted on said frame adjacent the supporting platform, and means including a rack mounted on the frame, and a shaft and gearing carried bythe brackets for adjusting the platform vertically relative to said back member and along said frame.

14. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a supporting platform, a plurality of brackets on which the platform is mounted, said brackets having vertically extending portions adapted to bear against and slide along said main frame, a vertically extending back member mounted on said frame adjacent the supporting platform, and means for adjusting the platform vertically relative to said back member and along said frame, and material holding means movable from an inoperative pisition clear of the platfrom to an operative position for holding material in position on said platform in any adjusted position.

15. A packing bench comprising a main frame, a supporting platform, a plurality of brackets on which the platform is mounted, said brackets having vertically extending portions adapted to bear against and slide along said main frame, a vertically extending back member mounted on said frame adjacent the supporting platform, and means including a rack mounted on the frame, and a shaft and gearing carried by the brackets for adjusting the platform vertically relative to said back member and along said frame, and materia-l holding means movable from an inoperative position clear of the platform to an operative position for holding material in position on said platform in any adjusted position.

' HARRISON DEAN MENOHER. 

